“No.”
“Tenacious?”
He shook his head. “I was thinking more along the lines of obnoxious.”
Erika flicked her leg up and kicked him lightly in the backside.
“Well, you can stand out here until the buzzards start trying to pluck at you, but I’m going back to bed.” He yawned and walked away.
“Ian,” Erika called out to him. “Can you bring me—”
“Blankets and some food? Already planned on it.”
Ian took his time about it but eventually brought her some supplies for her vigil. Erika wrapped the thick blanket Ian brought around her shoulders and sat in the dust. She’d been there for nearly four hours, and her stomach growled. The pancake and banana Ian had brought her in the morning had worn off long before.
Feet shuffled through the dusty ground behind her. She looked back and was surprised to see Aunt Dana headed her way with a messenger bag slung across her body.
Dana kicked a stone out of the way and flopped down on the ground next to Erika. “I figured you were hungry.” She took the bag off and rifled inside. She plucked a square, foil-wrapped parcel out and handed it to Erika.
The foil reminded her of the material Tex’s space suit had been made of. The silver square of food was warm and felt good in her cold hands.
“You going to play with it or eat it?”
Erika glared at her sideways. “My hands are cold.” She unwrapped the package and was happier than she should have been to find a double-decker grilled cheese sandwich inside. The bread was golden with butter and more soft than crispy, just the way Erika liked it. Orange-yellow cheese oozed out the sides. Even a small packet of yellow mustard was there. Erika wasted no time opening the packet and squirting some on the bite she intended to take first. The gooey sandwich was like magic. It warmed her and lifted her spirits.
“This is exactly what I wanted. And cooked just the way I like it. Thank you.”
“I remember, you know. It wasn’t that long ago you were a little squirt, running around the cottage, getting into everything. You may be grown up, but you’re never too old to want the food from your childhood. Especially when things suck.”
Erika downed half the sandwich in three bites.
“You’re eating like you’re feral.”
Erika felt a bit feral. Her life had become an hour-by-hour struggle to survive.
Dana rummaged in the pack and took out a bottle of water. She placed it on the ground between them and dug in the pack again. That time, she pulled out a black metal device that looked like a thick, long flashlight. She handed it to Erika.
“What’s this?”
“A Taser.”
Erika guffawed. “For what? Rabid ground squirrels?”
Aunt Dana didn’t laugh. “That’s military grade. More advanced than civilians can buy. Heck, it’s better than what most cops get.”
Erika didn’t know the first thing about Tasers, so the comparison was lost on her. She stared at Dana blankly. “And? Why did you trudge all the way out here to bring me this?” She gestured with her hand at the empty desert around them. “Not like a high-crime neighborhood.”
Dana’s brow furrowed, and her lips were set in a thin line. “I overheard some of the marines talking. They said recon in France had recovered armor worn by those aliens. Said they were analyzing it for weaknesses and found one.”
Erika waved her hand for Dana to continue.
“Apparently, bioelectric energy powers their armor. They think if we disrupt the bioelectric energy, we can make ’em vulnerable.”
Erika put the Taser on the ground. “Okay, good to know. I’ll keep that in mind the next time I see an alien out here.” Erika finished off the sandwich and crumpled the foil into a tight silver ball.
“Can you cut it with being flippant about everything I say to you?” Dana took a pistol from the shoulder harness under her jacket. “Here. Take this too.”
Erika took the pistol, seeing as how Dana was unlikely to leave until she was well armed. She plopped it down in the dust next to the Taser. “Where’d you get this stuff? I thought they confiscated your gun. They took mine.”
Dana looked around as if checking to make sure they were truly alone. “I pinched these.”
“You stole weapons from the US military?”
Dana shrugged and smiled at her.
Erika laughed. “I never thought I’d see the day when one of the Holts broke the law like that.” Her dad’s family was a long succession of folks working in law enforcement in some form or another. The family had sort of a running joke that, during a natural disaster, the Holts would use the crosswalk rather than jaywalk.
Dana smiled and joined the laugh but quickly brought it back down. “I’m sorry, Erika. For what I did back there at Niyol’s. I didn’t know who they were. Hell, I didn’t understand what Tex was. You know… All I wanted to do—all I care about—is protecting you. I’ll do anything to keep you safe. You know that, don’t you?”
Erika mulled her words over. The fact was that she had no reason to doubt they were true. She picked up the now dusty gun and shoved it into her back waistband. She put the Taser on her lap and covered herself back up with the blanket. She didn’t know why Dana felt so compelled to give her those things when the predator aliens were an ocean and a continent away, but she was glad to know that at least one person on the planet was looking out for her.
“Thanks,” she said. She looked over at Dana and gave her a genuine smile. “We’re okay.”
A tear welled in Dana’s eye, and she looked relieved. She put her hand on Erika’s leg and squeezed. “I’d tell you not to stay out here all night, but I know you’re not going to listen to me. I’ll make sure to get you a sleeping bag and some warmer clothes before the sun goes down.”
Dana rose and dusted her butt.
“Thanks. For everything,” Erika said.
Dana smiled and walked away, her feet kicking up dust as she left.
Erika resumed her vigil of staring at the empty spot in the dusty desert where Tex had once stood.
32
tEX
Tex was thankful for the light mounted to the helmet of his space suit. He was also glad he had not indulged his whim and kicked the helmet to the sands. He flicked the helmet light’s switch and peered down the stairs. Sand blew about the top few steps, but farther down, they appeared to be relatively clean of sand or debris.
What are you waiting for?
He stepped slowly and lightly onto the first step. Then he paused, waiting to see if the stairs shifted or moved, but the step was stable beneath him, so he went down another step.
The farther down he got, the darker it became. At the top of the stairs, the way had been lighted by the bright sunlight filtering in through the glass of the pyramid, but the sunlight was gobbled by the darkness. There were no lights of any kind along the stairs.
Tex’s helmet-mounted light cast a fairly wide beam, but he could still see no more than three or four feet on either side of himself and no more than five feet in front of him. The stairs were wide, for no matter where his beam of light landed, all he could see were steps made of what appeared to be a swirly cream and light-pink marble. Outside, even with his helmet on, he had heard the whistling of the whipping winds, but here, he heard nothing.
He counted the stairs, and as he neared one hundred, a diffuse light appeared ahead of him. It shone on the last few steps and revealed a landing.
A sliver of dim sunlight came from high above. A glass ceiling.
The stairs ended at a wide plaza that extended in every direction as far as the low light allowed him to see. Tex ventured forward in the direction of the sun shafts. Though he sensed no life forms, he continued to hope that he could find the Architects.
As he walked deeper into the black void, other breaks of light came from above to reveal wide boulevards of the same pink-tinged marble of the stairs. The boulevards were lined with tall buildings made of the same gre
en-tinged glass and creamy marble.
They were unlike any buildings Tex had ever seen. The facades were ornately carved with swirling patterns that resembled curling cloud wisps or twirling branches and leaves. Others had markings etched into the marble but in a language or symbology Tex did not understand. The boulevards branched this way and that. Tex paused and took it all in. He stood in the heart of the city that the Conexus had shown him in their shared consciousness. If the sands above had not blown over the glass ceiling covering the whole of the city, it would in fact be a gleaming city of green and pink and gold.
He spoke out loud. “It must have been beautiful once.” His voice echoed off of the empty stone and glass.
His throat tightened, and his eyes filled with tears. If the planet was dead, that meant his planet would die as well.
He recalled the visions he had received from the Conexus—Earth, as lifeless as the planet on which he was standing, ravaged by disease; nuclear war landing the deathblow. He knew that future could be prevented, but only if he had the help of the architects of the gateway that had brought the predators to Earth’s doorstep.
Hope drained from him. He wanted to lie on the dusty stairway and sob. He had come find answers from the architects of that grand city and of the highway between the star systems, but the throne of the gods was empty. His trip had been for naught. He’d go back to Earth, if he could get back, and have to face them all with no more answers than he had before.
“It was once beautiful beyond compare.”
Tex’s heart leapt to his throat. Sweat beaded on his forehead again. He was used to hearing voices other than his own inside his head. That was how the Conexus had communicated with him. Yet he was feeling no painful buzzing or discomfort. The voice was clear and distinct.
“Who are you?” He reached out with his preternatural senses but sensed neither bioelectrical nor mechanical energies.
“We are that which you seek.”
His heart pounded even harder. “Where are you?”
“At the center and deeper still.”
That sounded like a riddle, the kind of thing he might have once taken joy in deciphering, but the endless sands above him had sapped his patience. Fear of being unable to breathe shattered his concentration.
“You need not worry for air. You can remove your breathing apparatus. You will find the environment suitable to your biological unit.”
Tex’s life experience had engendered in him a cynicism greater than his limited number of years warranted. He wasn’t about to subject himself to the potential of nearly instantaneous death by trusting the disembodied voice of an unrevealed source.
“We must gain your trust. We understand. Come to us, our son. You have many questions. We have answers. Meet your ancient ancestors. The Elosians welcome you to your ancestral home.”
33
jACK
Sturgis quickly finished making her rounds to check on each of the hybrid fetuses incubating in the artificial wombs. She then led Jack, Anna, and Alecto into yet another narrow passage dug into the rock.
The tunnel was chilly and dark. Ceiling-mounted lights cast some illumination, but they were spaced farther apart than in the first underground shaft they’d walked through. The path twisted this way and that. They passed by a few small holes cut into the rock much like the one they’d used to enter Sturgis’s hidden lab.
Sturgis set a brisk pace. She occasionally called over her shoulder, admonishing them to keep up. Jack brought up the rear of their group. The farther they walked, the lower the rock ceiling and the narrower the tunnel. Staying with the others became difficult for Jack because he had to duck and slant sideways at times to make it through the chiseled rock.
After about half an hour, the tunnel ended in a wide room. Like the passageway, it was primitive. The walls were exposed rock marked up from the boring equipment used to create the cave. However, the far wall was covered in conduits, computer screens, digital readouts, lighted panels, and dials. The wall of machinery was at least ten feet high and more than twenty feet long.
“What’s that?” Anna asked.
Sturgis stared up at it. “This is the heart and lungs of A.H.D.N.A. and Apthartos.”
Jack took in the vast apparatus of interconnected conduits and what looked like on/off valves like the one outside his house for turning the water on and off for the whole house. “This is the master control for the humidity system?”
“It controls that and more,” Sturgis said.
“I am no longer vulnerable to water,” Alecto said. “The cure that you designed for me was successful.” There was obvious pride in her voice.
Sturgis favored her with a small smile. “Ah, so Dr. Randall was able to decipher my notes. Good. The Crofts may be unaware of the change in your functionality. Use that to your advantage. But I can give you a few more advantages as well.”
Sturgis walked briskly to a small desk in a dark corner. She pulled a clear plastic earpiece wired to a small black box no larger than a cell phone out of a drawer and handed it to Anna. “Wear this. It’s a secure channel.”
Anna put in the earpiece, fed the wire down her shirt, and hooked the receiver to the ammo belt at her waist.
A channel to Sturgis was not Jack’s priority. “I hope you’ve got a map too.” He had walked the halls of A.H.D.N.A. a few times, but each time, he’d gone a different way. The place was a maze, and he had no idea how to get to the underground city.
Sturgis’s voice was full of impatience. “Alecto knows the way.”
Alecto did not agree, but she also did not disagree. She remained still and silent, her huge black eyes fixed on Sturgis.
“How many men do you think Croft has down here?” Anna asked.
“I’m not certain. Assume many, and hope it’s few. But with stealth and Alecto, you may have a chance of making it to Croft, regardless of their numbers.”
Jack didn’t like the sound of their odds. “Where do you think we’ll find Croft?”
“He is, if nothing else, a supreme coward. I lay odds that he’s holed up in the house built for him. It’s in the furthest corner of Apthartos. But as I said, he’s had armed patrols roaming the halls, looking for me. You’re likely to run into them before you even get to Apthartos.”
Jack had already witnessed one carnage in Apthartos. He didn’t want to be a casualty in another or, worse, lose Anna. “Have you got anything useful to tell us? Like tips on how to infiltrate Croft’s underground Alamo? Or are you just going to wig us out?”
Sturgis glared at him. “Croft is brilliant in many ways. But he’s also predictable. That’s why I always beat him at chess when we were kids.” A small smile crept to her lips.
Jack and Anna listened intently as Sturgis laid out her plan for how to get to Croft. They asked questions and fine-tuned the plan while Alecto sat quietly and listened. They went over the timing and key details several times to ensure that everyone was on the same page.
After about the third time Sturgis tried to run through it, Jack found it psyching him out more than helping. “I think we’re as ready as we’re going to be.” He checked the magazine of his pistol, replaced it, and shoved the gun back into his shoulder holster. “Locked and loaded. Let’s get going.”
“Agreed,” Alecto said, the first thing she’d said in over an hour.
Only Anna hesitated. It was odd for her to be the one holding back.
Though Jack was unsure what emotion was playing at Anna’s eyes, Sturgis seemed to understand. Her eyes softened, and she hugged Anna loosely, careful of the ammo belt slung across Anna’s body. She loosed her hug and held Anna by the shoulders. “You are a Sturgis. You can do this.” She lightly kissed Anna’s forehead. “Your father would be proud of you. He wanted to stand up to Croft. Did you know that?”
Anna sniffled. “No, I didn’t.”
Jack knew Sturgis was a skilled liar and manipulator, so what she told Anna could have been complete BS, but her words lifted Anna’s spirit,
so Jack chose not to question Sturgis’s statement.
Sturgis released her grip on Anna. “Now go. Retrieve that antiviral. Many people are counting on us.”
Anna nodded and wiped her cheek.
Jack was at the doorway. He looked into the dimly lit hall but saw no signs of Croft’s men. Anna and Alecto were at his heels.
“And Anna,” Sturgis called.
Anna stopped and looked back.
“An eye for an eye,” Sturgis said.
____________________
Alecto led them through the maze of corridors from the farthest reaches of A.H.D.N.A. toward Apthartos. The pistol she wore looked oversized on her tiny waist. She’d chosen not to carry a rifle too. Chances were that with her telekinetic weapon, guns were overkill for her anyway.
Jack and Anna had both donned Kevlar body armor. They tried to find something small enough for Alecto, but nothing Sturgis had in her weapons cache was small enough for Alecto’s child-sized torso.
They walked quickly. Despite their attempt to be stealthy, their footsteps echoed off the concrete floor and cinder-block walls. Alecto was in the lead and about to turn a corner to head east but she pulled herself back and flat against the wall. She held her finger to her lips and motioned them to get against the wall as well. She cocked her head and was as still as a statue. After a few seconds, she whispered in a voice so faint Jack had to strain to here it, “Three. All males.”
Jack’s heart amped up to double time. He knew he wasn’t going to make it out of A.H.D.N.A. alive without more blood on his hands, but he didn’t relish killing. He took a deep breath and readied himself to round the corner and open fire. A loud thud made him hesitate.
Alecto’s eyes were closed, her hand outstretched.
A man said, “What the…? Jamison?”
Another voice screamed in agony but only briefly. Another thud.
Jack moved forward to round the corner, but Alecto pushed him back with one arm.
Someone moaned in pain. His voice rasped, “Stop. Please.”
Alecto did not stop, though. A sheen of sweat covered her bald held, and her outstretched fingers trembled, but she persisted. Within seconds, the man stopped moaning. Jack heard a third thud as the man’s body hit the ground.
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